Taking my hat off to Mao

What other top level lady could do what she did? To have the courage to rebuild your career and fix your jumps... she is my favorite but i just cant believe the heart she has. That Axel is beautiful. I know that the naysayers are going to wait until she lands it in conjunction with the rest of the elements before they applaud her but she is such a testament to sport!

She has impressed me immensely. After her showing at worlds the past 2 years, I thought she was a past number, and that maybe it was a mistake for her to rework everything.
But then she kicked ass recently :O

It's still uinderrotated by less than 180 degrees, but more than 90 degrees, about 135 degrees short. So that means no downgrade, just an UR call is all, which isn't bad. She's getting there, she's getting there.

The crowd support was amazing, after she landed her 3A they were incredibly happy for her. And when she shushed the audience (by choreography) before starting the step sequence, it was really funny because there was no way they would keep silent.

I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY FOR HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She did that Axel like it was nothing. I am also taking my hat off to Mr Sato. Mao made the perfect choice to go to him. That man really knows what he's doing. I like that he got rid of that crazy long setup she used to do into that jump.

I actually think that I am more excited to see if she lands the flip/loop in the free. Her protocols for the short program were fantastic. GO MAO!!!

Thank you for recognizing her genius. She is amazing, and I have watched her carefully since 2002. I have pretty much prayed every time I watched her skate. She has made the most of the requirements of IJS, creating original art even when IJS basically just dumped on her. And she is several classes above Yu Na in her spins, her line, and her risk taking. She will prove irreplaceable when she retires.

Thank you for recognizing her genius. She is amazing, and I have watched her carefully since 2002. I have pretty much prayed every time I watched her skate. She has made the most of the requirements of IJS, creating original art even when IJS basically just dumped on her. And she is several classes above Yu Na in her spins, her line, and her risk taking. She will prove irreplaceable when she retires.

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I am agreeing with genius. She's just beyond words! she completely reinvented herself in a way that other ladies could only dream. She was a jumping bean as a young girl and now she's one as a woman. She was a ballet oriented girl now she's an artistic star. I love her. She emotionally is to me what figure skating is. A culmination of both worlds.

This program shows how far she has come in terms of her facial expression and selling a program. Sweet Jesus it was TO DIE FOR. The return of the 3A is just the icing on the cake. I love her so much. She is the best ladies skater of all times.

Oh that free skater was fab. Yes she doubled the Salchow and had three triples underrotated but to even try a Triple Flip-Triple Loop is an achievement as is bringing the Triple Axel back. I would have thought though one of those jumps would be performed prior to the Triple Loop. As for her future. I don't care how she does as long as it builds up to Sochi 2014 where hopefully *fingers cross* we'll see perfection. Whether that can beat a fully on Kim I do not know.

That free skate was amazing. She went for almost everything, and it all had lift and power. I'm not sure about the UR for the 3A, but the technical panel at this event was consistent. What an exquisite and entertaining program this has evolved into!

Did anyone else notice that Mao was attempting 8 triples in her FS (but doubled the salchow)? Doesn't that break the maxiumum 7 triple rule, meaning if she landed her salchow, her last triple flip wouldn't have counted? Someone needs to tell her!!! But it's so interesting that her team decided to throw in everything she had all of a sudden. Good for her for going for all of it!

Did anyone else notice that Mao was attempting 8 triples in her FS (but doubled the salchow)? Doesn't that break the maxiumum 7 triple rule, meaning if she landed her salchow, her last triple flip wouldn't have counted? Someone needs to tell her!!! But it's so interesting that her team decided to throw in everything she had all of a sudden. Good for her for going for all of it!

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Someone needs to tell her nothing. She can do 8 triples as she has a triple axel which no other lady has. Thus in 7 jumping passes she can attempt 8 triples repeating flip and loop and trying all 6 triple jumps. Every other lady is maxed out at 7 triples as they don't do triple axel. No rules are being broken, it's just that no one attempts it. I believe Meissner did 8 triples at a Liberty one year (the year her triple axel was kind of working perhaps) and Ito was planning 8 triples for Albertville yet made mistakes and doubled her lutz. So far it has not been done in an ISU championships.